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As part of our ‘Method behind the magic’ series, we’re zooming in on a few elements of what makes great experiential marketing campaigns. Today’s focus is on what we call food theatre: the power and impact of an edible offering within a marketing experience.
Sweets, treats, and the quintessential cuppa
Often viewed as the lowest (or cheapest!) form of footfall driving, the food and beverage freebie giveaway has always gotten a bad rap. And rightfully so when it is done incorrectly. Allow me to explain.
If you are offered a treat with no engagement as you walk past a store, the brand recall lasts as long as the taste sensation in the mouth does, and that’s if you’re lucky.
But the giveaway, or freebie, exists for a number of reasons, one being time: “how quickly can I get activity on the high street that can steal my competitor’s thunder?” Freebies can do that for a temporary fix, but unless done correctly, they don’t not create any brand love or loyalty.
So, how can the freebie not only contribute, but play an integral role in your experiential marketing mix? This is often the challenge we embrace at TCC when crafting our responses to briefs. We know that time or budget considerations might lead us to the conclusion that food and beverage giveaways are the prudent solution to the client opportunity, but we always strive to make them work as hard as possible, ensuring that they’re memorable and engaging in their own right.
So, how do we go about this?
PLACEHOLDER: One of my favourite examples of food theatre within our portfolio here at TCC is the XYZ we did for X. It proved to be a real crowd-pleaser
Experiential marketing: the theatre of food
If the excitement and spontaneity of pop-up food stalls shows us anything, it’s that capturing that energy and flair in an in-store retail environment can only be beneficial to your activity. A lot of food stalls hone their marketing and branding skills in order to differentiate their offering and create unique moments with food. In a saturated space, customers need to be able to understand, identify, and connect with your offering. Creativity is the key ingredient here.
Making sure the type of food aligns with your campaign and does not complicate your customer journey is vital, and reaps rewards for your brand. For example, if you’re a beauty company debuting a new fragrance inspired by Brazilian culture, a food giveaway connected to the Brazilian culture would be the ideal choice. The food freebie shouldn’t upstage the main offering, and shouldn’t take so much of the customer’s time and attention that they forget about the purpose of the experience.
If you can’t control the giveaway, control how you present it
We always look for opportunities to dress up and package the giveaway in order to give the brand context and build positive brand associations. Packaging that carries a conceptual message and can align with the brand will support the sale, helping build people’s understanding of your offering, which is vital for a successful experiential marketing campaign. Packaging should be fun, memorable, and playful to help create memorability and brand recall.
The seamless blend of food theatre and technology
A lot of our clients are within the tech sector, so finding ways to relevant an instant giveaway with the assistance of technology can help create a unique, memorable moment that is not only enjoyable but something the recipient will feel compelled to share. That’s a huge brand win.
The magic of conceptual food
Occasionally, there are opportunities for the food itself to support a brand message. Give a customer a doughnut and you give one person a treat. Give a customer two doughnuts with a message encouraging them to share one with a friend and you give them an opportunity to connect others to your brand too. If you brand is centred around shared experiences, consider this while deciding on your giveaway. Likewise, if your brand is built around healthy lifestyles, a smoothie would be a better, more aligned choice than a hotdog.
Wrapping it up
Your brand experiences are too important to get wrong – make sure they’re in the right hands!
TCC is an integrated marketing agency where active minds make marketing magic. Whether it’s a store opening, product launch, staff engagement event, or a rebranding campaign, we can help imbue it with unforgettable energy, making people stop, stare, and share.
Get in touch – we’d love to hear from you and show you how we can connect your brand to your audience through creativity.
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